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Michigan football receives three years of probation, additional penalties from the NCAA

The Michigan football program will be on probation for the next three years, subject to additional penalties from the NCAA for violations during a COVID-19 dead period and for non-coaching staff taking on improper roles under former coach Jim Harbaugh NCAA.

The penalties, which also include a Michigan fine and recruiting penalties, were part of an agreement between NCAA law enforcement personnel, the University of Michigan and “five individuals who currently or previously worked for its football program.”

According to the NCAA's press release, a former coach did not participate in the agreement and “that portion of the case will be reviewed separately by the Infractions Committee.” The coach who did not participate is not being named by the NCAA.

Harbaugh served a self-imposed three-game suspension at the start of the 2023 season for those violations, which are separate from the Connor Stalions sign-stealing saga that emerged in the second half of the year.

Michigan appeared to have reached a resolution with the NCAA last summer that would have suspended Harbaugh for four games as well as new head coach Sherrone Moore and new offensive line coach Grant Newsome for one game, but the deal fell through in August just before the 2023 season.

Michigan first received a draft notice in January 2023 containing allegations related to recruiting violations and coaching activities by non-coaching employees. The violations included in-person recruiting contacts and tryouts during the NCAA-mandated COVID-19 dead period, as well as exceeding the number of coaches allowed to participate in both “on-field and off-field coaching activities,” the NCAA said.

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The violations were classified as Level II violations, which, according to a description adopted in 2019, are defined as actions deemed to provide “more than minimal but less than substantial or extensive recruiting, competitive or other advantage.”

Another Level I violation was levied against Harbaugh, who told the NCAA that he could not recall the Level II violations, which the NCAA deemed misleading. A Level I violation is defined as a “serious conduct violation” that “seriously undermines or threatens the integrity of intercollegiate athletics.”

When the official notice of the allegations was sent out in December, just before the Wolverines' third straight trip to the College Football Playoff, sources told the Free Press that Michigan acknowledged the Level II violations, while Harbaugh maintained his innocence in the violation level I asserted.

The Wolverines won the first three games of the season without Harbaugh, who then returned for the next six games before being suspended again by the Big Ten for another scandal, which caused him to miss the final three games of the regular season.

Big Ten commissioner Tony Pettiti issued Harbaugh a second suspension after Michigan's alleged sign-stealing became public in late October. Shortly after the news broke, former recruiting staffer Connor Stalions was identified as the ringleader, allegedly purchasing tickets to games of future UM opponents, sending staff to games and filming the opponent's signals on the sidelines, which were not available on TV.

Harbaugh and Michigan initially filed a court order to end the Big Ten's three-game suspension, but dropped the case before it was set to go to trial, accepting the suspension Harbaugh received for violating the conference's athletic policies was awarded.

Harbaugh returned for the postseason, where he led Michigan to another Big Ten championship and the school's first national title since 1997.

In response to Tuesday's news, Harbaugh's attorney, Tom Mars, told the Free Press via text message that he had filed a response on behalf of the former Michigan coach, but that ended Harbaugh's involvement.

“I submitted a detailed response to the NOA on behalf of Coach Harbaugh, which unfortunately has not been made public and will likely never see the light of day,” Mars said. “This concluded Coach Harbaugh’s involvement in the case.”

Since winning the national championship over Washington, Jim Harbaugh has left the Michigan program to take the head coaching position with the Los Angeles Chargers, leaving former offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore in charge.

Harbaugh's move also triggered a wave of personnel turnover, including defensive coordinator Jesse Minter moving to Harbaugh.

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